This book tells the story of river boating in the West before the invention of the steamboat. In a deft combination of thorough research and interesting narrative, Baldwin recreates life on the keelboats and flatboats that plied the Ohio, Mississippi, and other rivers from revolutionary days until about 1820. No one knows who put the first keel along the bottom of one big, clumsy river craft used by the pioneers. but the change made the boats far easier to manage, and travel in both directions became practical all the way ...
Read More
This book tells the story of river boating in the West before the invention of the steamboat. In a deft combination of thorough research and interesting narrative, Baldwin recreates life on the keelboats and flatboats that plied the Ohio, Mississippi, and other rivers from revolutionary days until about 1820. No one knows who put the first keel along the bottom of one big, clumsy river craft used by the pioneers. but the change made the boats far easier to manage, and travel in both directions became practical all the way to New Orleans. Baldwin examines the many types of craft in use, the different methods of locomotion, and the art of navigation on uncharted rivers full of hidden obstacles. But he never loses sight of the picturesque aspects of his subject, especially the boatmen themselves-a tribe of rugged and fearless men whose colorful lives are described in great detail. The Keelboat Age is a segment cut from the history of the frontier, showing the overwhelming importance of river transportation in the development of the West. The rivers were great arteries, carrying a restless people into a new land. The keelboatman and his craft did much to build a nation.
Read Less
Edition:
Paperback reissue; originally published in 1941
Publisher:
University of Pittsburgh Press
Published:
1980
Language:
English
Alibris ID:
13828599784
Shipping Options:
Standard Shipping: $4.62
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Signed by previous owner. Previous owner's signature on back of front cover; no marks in the text. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 264 p. Includes bibliography, index. Audience: General/trade.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good condition paperback. Minor edgewear and rubbing. Spine has faint creasing but isn't split. Tulsa's best used bookstore. Located on South Mingo Road since 1991. No-hassle return policy if not completely satisfied.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Near Fine. Black-and-white illustrations and maps. Not an ex-library copy. No remainder marks. No names or marks in the text. Most books shipped within 24 hours. All books mailed with Delivery Confirmation. Near fine condition. Unread.; Black-and-white illustrations and maps; 8vo.; 264 pages.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Good+ Crisp and clean except for a prior owner's homemade card pocket on the inside of the front cover; cover also shows a thin crease and mild surface scuffing along the left front, otherwise sound. x, 264pp. incl. index.
